Replica appears of Mojave Desert cross that was stolen at war memorial

The new cross was spotted Thursday morning at Sunrise Rock in the National World War I Memorial, the National Park Service said.

Before it was stolen, the cross had been the focus of a legal battle over whether it should be displayed at the memorial. A lawsuit filed in federal court argued that displaying the cross was unconstitutional because it represented just one faith: Christianity.

In a decision in April, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the cross to remain and sent the matter back to a lower court. The cross has stood since 1934 in various forms as a memorial to World War I soldiers.

The Park Service said officials were investigating the original theft and the planting of the replica cross. Anyone with information is asked to call a tip line at: (760) 252-6120.